Has anyone managed to reduce blood pressure medication?

[JustLaura]

Hi

Has anyone managed to come off their blood pressure meds or significantly reduce them?

Any tips or BP readings appreciated!
How long were you on a dose?
How long before you could reduce the dose?

Everyone I ask in person seems to say once you're in them, it's for life?

Thanks

Yes, I lost 3.5 stone.

Why do you want to stop them, are they giving you side effects?

Otherwise, it's a combination of the right (good) diet, exercise, relaxation techniques and weight loss mostly.

Some people cannot come off them though even though they try everything. Don't be too hard on yourself, but if any of the above affect you, you could try that first anyway.

I have managed to completely come off mine with doctors approval as I lost a huge amount of weight. My blood pressure now is totally normal.

Don't just come off it, get advice from your GP

I asked for tips on here recently and a lot of people recommended beetroot juice. I have just bought some to try.here is my thread https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/general_health/5123938-reducing-blood-pressure?reply=136936786

my dad

he needed to lose weight quickly to enable a cancer surgery.
he did fast 800 and as result lost 2 stone in a months (had a lot to lose).
after surgery he kept at losing weight more slowly through a sensible diet to upper end of 'normal' bmi.

blood pressure now normal
blood sugar now normal
sleep apnoea completely gone
joint pain mostly gone

Weight loss and exercise and statins. Aaaaand also angioplasty.

Weight loss
Exercise
Diet
Quit smoking
Quit drinking

It has to be fairly extreme to get down to 'normal' and even then you can't 'treat yourself' whenever you like

Low sodium (eg no salt, none of those fizzy vitamin/health supplements etc) and low fat

Weightloss alone did it for me. BP was very high and now is low normal. Came off the meds.

I spend my days stopping people's blood pressure meds - all my patients have lost large amounts of weight.

Even then there are a minority who still have high BP despite this.

But losing a lot of weight does work for most.

Thanks @halava

No side effects but my aim is to reduce and stop.

Bit disheartened as BP isn't dropping significantly.

Thanks @bluecomputerscreen

I will look at Fast 800.

Thanks, feel a bit more hopeful reading what your Dad has achieved and hope he is on the road to recovery.

How long have you been on them?

Hi @MrsPelligrinoPetrichor I've been taking them for nearly 2 years. I did try to reduce them 6 months ago but it just increased again within 3 months

Stay on them then! Just continue to look after your BP through diet ,minimal alcohol etc and exercise.

@JustLaura in order to reduce your blood pressure you need to either:

1: Stay on the medication
2: Fundamentally change something about your body to stop you having high blood pressure

2 is hard. Losing loads of weight, completely changing your diet, starting to exercise regularly - all for the rest of your life - is difficult. That said, some people do manage it. However even doing all of this, some will still have high blood pressure as unfortunately their bodies just do it anyway.

Obviously making the lifestyle changes is good anyway, even if it doesn't lower your BP, but they aren't a guarantee that your BP will fall.

I’m trying beet juice and ground flax seeds. But cumulatively they will reduce hpb by a few points, I’m at 170/90 so medication appears to be the way to go. It has reduced on meds but not back at anywhere near normal. I Ed to lose a stone and a half so am hop8ng that will help. I exercise and eat well and don’t smoke at all or drink much….

keep going …take the pills. Good luck.

Hi @Prismsandprunes do you mind if I ask how much weight loss showed a difference in your blood pressure? Thanks

Thanks @BigDahliaFan my situation is very similar. Also trying flax seeds but I just can't drink the beetroot juice even though I love beetroot!

I bought a juicer and do a carrot, ginger, beet combo whic is fairly palatable!

also eating beetroot is supposed to have similar benefits, roasted, or grated raw in a salad….boiled not so much.

Watching with interest. Based on that other thread I bought beetroot juice last week. Thanks to this thread I realised I haven't started drinking it yet 😬

Michael Mosley suggested ground flaxseed daily for reducing blood pressure. I'm prone to high blood pressure though have controlled by losing weight and adding flaxseed to my daily smoothies.

@Pixiedust1234 let us know what happens!

10 kilos. I'm still in the obese range but have decided to live with that as cholesterol, BP and blood glucose are all excellent.

No

I am middle of the healthy BMI for my height, have never smoked and walk the dogs 5 miles a day. I’m vegetarian and my cholesterol levels are low.

I gave up coffee, alcohol and salt for 6 months in an effort to control my BP naturally with no measurable effect. I also tried the herbal remedies.

For some it’s medication or accept the HBP is normal for us.